These are Prominent Characteristics of the INTJ Personality Type

INTJ is an abbreviation used for one of the 16 personality types as defined by psychologists Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers. This article discusses some of the prominent characteristics of the INTJ personality type.

Lalan Maliakal

Last Updated: Mar 12, 2018

The Myers-Briggs Typology Indicator (MBTI) psychometric test was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers based on typological theories proposed by the famous psychologist Carl Gustav Jung in his 1921 book Psychological Types. This test is basically in the form of a questionnaire, and attempts to determine the natural inclinations/tendencies of a person. These inclinations are defined as personality types, and are the result of different combinations of 4 switches, namely:

Extrovert (E) or Introvert (I)

Sensing (S) or Intuitive (N)

Feeling (F) or Thinking (T)

Perceiving (P) or Judging (J)

One of the psychometric types defined by the MBTI is INTJ, which stands for "Introverted Intuition Thinking and Judging". In a common man's language, what this means is that:

I, or Introversion, means that these people tend to be quiet and reserved. They generally have a small circle of close-knit friends that they interact with very well, but do not readily mix/become friends with new people. They generally do not like social situations as they expend energy in these.

N, or Intuition, means that these people like to be more abstract than concrete. They like to focus on the big picture rather than going for the small details. They focus on future possibilities rather than on the 'now and here'.

T, or Thinking, means that they value facts and objective truths more than sentiments or people. They focus on the logical aspect of things while making decisions, rather than social considerations.

J, or Judging, means that they like to plan everything and follow it through the end. They like predictability, and are frustrated when something is out of place.

CharacteristicsSome of the most commonly observed characteristics of INTJ personalities are as follows:

They are very self-confident people. They are aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

Being introverts, they are very good listeners.

They are trustworthy people and one can rest assured that his/her secrets will be safe with them.

Decision making comes naturally to these people, and once a decision is made they are at rest.

These people look to the future rather than languishing in the past.

INTJs will accept an idea or position only if it makes sense to them, regardless of who proposed it. In that sense, they are fiercely independent thinkers.

They are not easily impressed by authority or power.

They like to conform to rules and schedules.

These type of people are extremely pragmatic.

They have high standards of performance and competence for themselves and for others.

The logical side of these people can make them unintentionally insensitive to other people's feelings or sentiments. In that way, they are not the best people to turn to with your problems.

They cannot handle emotional situations, and tend to stay away from them. This is also the reason they are not very good at maintaining relationships.

They are not very good at receiving criticism and tend to get defensive when confronted with their own flaws.

INTJs believe in strong, committed relationships, which they take very seriously. If an estranged relationship needs to be worked upon, they are the first to initiate the reconciliation; but if it is beyond salvage, they are fast to get over it.

Generally referred to as the 'system builders' of any organization, their viewpoints are rather global and have a broader perspective.

They are born leaders.

They function the best when left to themselves, without having to work in a team. Because of this, they are not the best team players.

CareersGiven below are some career options especially suited to such individuals:

Business Analyst

Computer Programmer

Lawyer

Judge

Business Administrator

Doctor

Scientist

Professor

Management Consultant

Economist

Mathematician

Famous Personalities with INTJHere is a list of some of the famous personalities whose MBTI psychometric type was/is INTJ:

Thomas Jefferson

General Colin Powell

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Calvin Coolidge

Orel Hershiser

Chevy Chase

Augustus Caesar

Jane Austen

Lance Armstrong

Sir Isaac Newton

Stephen Hawking

Hannibal Barca

Edwin Moses

Martina Navratilova

William J Bennett

Dan Aykroyd

Greg Gumbel

INTJs are the rarest of the 16 personality types, accounting for only 1-3% of females and 2-6% males the world over. They have the unique ability to combine imagination with reliability, which is the main reason the world needs them!